ABQ - Bernalillo Co upgrades

From KRQE's website....

City, county seek to replace aging radio communications system | KRQE News 13

By Alex Goldsmith

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County are working on making a pricey upgrade to their radio communications system with hopes it will improve coverage and make repairs easier.

Right now, the radio system that first responders for both the city and county use to communicate has a couple of big issues.

Currently, there are coverage gaps in parts of Bernalillo County where the system goes dark.

“Our deputies, our EMS personnel cannot receive or send radio messages from Chilili,” said Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson. “It’s been a long-standing problem.”

That problem proved especially tricky during the Dog Head Fire when evacuations were put in place for the area.

I'd be absolutely shocked if a vendor is chosen by the end of this year. The county is looking at a huge budget shortfall and the city is all wrapped up in getting the controversial ART project moving.

If the RFP is completed properly (And it should because the city hired a radio consultant) I don't see why they won't have a vendor selected by the end of the year. The City/County is brilliant putting out the RFP in the fall. Think end of year sales numbers and they should get some great deals. Also, I'm sure they will reach out to the Feds and say the magic words, "interoperability and P25" and the checkbook should open up.

Oh, I have no doubt they'll reach out to the Feds. The reasoning for my doubt about meeting the deadline is that BernCo has a really bad habit of coming up with great and wonderful plans and then failing to follow through.

I guess if City is taking the lead, it stands a better chance of happening (somewhat) on time, but don't underestimate the power of County to through monkey wrenches all over the place.

The new system will happen, though. That much is certain.

I think it would make more sense for the county to go with a VHF system that covers the entire county and the city to stick with a 800 trunking system.

Every county around Bernalillo uses VHF and this would help with any type of mutual aid events. If all the radios were VHF/800 everyone would still be able to talk to each other and the expense of covering the entire county with a simulcast system would be reduced.

I'm sure radio sales people can't wait to get their hands on the RFP.

abqscan said:

If the RFP is completed properly (And it should because the city hired a radio consultant) I don't see why they won't have a vendor selected by the end of the year. The City/County is brilliant putting out the RFP in the fall. Think end of year sales numbers and they should get some great deals. Also, I'm sure they will reach out to the Feds and say the magic words, "interoperability and P25" and the checkbook should open up.

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Do you have a specific email or pm preference? Wpuld like to get with you regarding a system in southern NM and talkgroups I have run into.

You can email me at abqscan AT gmail DOT com!

abqscan said:

Every county around Bernalillo uses VHF and this would help with any type of mutual aid events.

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Not to mention both Sandia and Isleta Pueblos are also VHF.

abqscan said:

If all the radios were VHF/800 everyone would still be able to talk to each other and the expense of covering the entire county with a simulcast system would be reduced.

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Interesting idea. Sounds too logical for government work, though. ;-)

Hmmm, just thinking & wondering

Hhmmm? Would this New Mexico (radio radio system being used but is no longer being supported by its manufacturer) be the (EDACS trunked radio systems with ProVoice channels) that were supposed to never be able to be picked or or heard by any scanner on the market ever??? If so, Uniden unlocked that one right there & as of this year of 2016. It is now available with the BCD436HP & the BCD536HP as a paid upgrade & made it possible for us to listen in on & monitor EDACS trunked radio systems with ProVoice channels once & for all. LOL

Maybe that's the possible reason & the hidden truth why NM as well as Bernalillo County, NM are saying that & seeking to replace what they now call & consider an (aging radio communications system that is no longer supported by its manufacturer) with another that will cost NM & Taxpayers $20 to $30 million if it's actually the (EDACS trunked radio systems with ProVoice channels) that they are talking about in the KRQE News Story which I am thinking they are but just aren't saying or specifying because they do not want us to know that it is the (EDACS ProVoice trunked radio systems) that they are concerned & talking about...

Those of us who live in Bernalillo County, NM; we quite well know that Bernalillo Fire Departments, BC Sheriffs & others related to including Cibola National Forest nowadays require & have to have their privacy & private radio conversations privatized to this day & everyday possible with the everyday incidents that happen & go on in Bernalillo, NM. They do not like the public like us being able to pick them up & hear what is going on around us like we did some 10 to 15 years ago where we heard everything on a basic analog only scanner with no fancy features or settings! Uniden just helped ruin their private (EDACS trunked radio systems with ProVoice channels) that were never supposed to be able to be picked up or heard by any consumer purchased scanner on the market which did not quite happen or come true for Bernalillo County thanks to Uniden & their BCD436HP & BCD536HP Digital Scanners that now have the (EDACS ProVoice) Upgrade available for purchase for us scanner enthusiasts. YAY for Uniden on that one!!

The upgrade is not due to a scanner or any uniden update. Harris eol'd pro voice some time ago. While they do offer easier migration to phase 1 and 2 if you stick with them they still offer pro voice on newer harris units as a migration helper but not to continue its format. Upgrades are always bound to occur. Sometimes some sooner then others. I can name numerous agencies in NM who only had the xts series for 3 or 4 years and went to a lower cost apx then year later upgraded to a apx 6000 and some now are rolling out apx 8000s. Obviously not everyone does this. But of the technology progresses they will start to roll out newer versions of equipment rather then keep paying a dying system which is eol and costs more to maintain. The point can be argued. Las Cruces as well Hobbs and Albuquerque were having in house technicians maintain the edacs and Pro Voice systems sending them to training for it. Parts become scarce and used refurbished is not ideal for public safety. There is many areas still using ht1250s, ht1000s, ht1550s throughout the state who do not have the budget for anything. A few smaller agencies have been doing large orders with Motorola the past year buying the xts series which are pretty much eol and going out the door in Motorolas eyes. I do find it funny how Motorola says it is eol yet magically sells 40 thousand dollars worth of portbales and mobiles to a city after the eol and sell date. Money talks as they say specially if it is upfront. Upgrades will happen. You can expect Albuquerque and Cruces to go to a phase 2 flavor with some phase 1 use as Lea county did. Lincoln County just rolled out apx6000s to its local and county fire departments. I will say every xts and apx bought on the government tab has multi algo boards by default in NM and everyone has same algo boards on the xts and apx. Some use it some dont others on and off. Any how as systems age and parts lack and better technology exists they will always upgrade. Some sooner then others. Scanners and upgrades for scanners have nothing to do with it. BCSO and APD have a few secure talkgroups any how along with clear. I can tell you this, some areas people will enjoy the clear digital age while others will pound sound. As it stands some choose to use full features while others do not for various reasons though they could if they decided to.

LosRio said:

The upgrade is not due to a scanner or any uniden update.

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Yep.

Let's not forget that APD, BCSO, and both City and County Fire have been available to the public via online streaming, through Broadcastify and KOB-TV. Further, I remember reading here about the city and county contemplating a new system well before the ProVoice option for the x36HP line.

EDACS ProVoice question for 2017

OK, now the true & real question for me if anybody know anything about this: Is it still true that Bernalillo County Fire, Sheriff's & all of the others that use EDACS ProVoice Radios in this county are getting rid of & changing out to a new radio trunking system & radios this year in 2017 at some costly taxpayers range of between $20 and $30 million, a cost that will be split between the county and city?

I am still curious of & about this still. Even more now I am because right before Christmas of 2016, I happened to land on an Amazon Lighting Deal luckily for the Uniden BCD536HP & purchased it at the limited time deal price on Amazon.com for $395.99 instead of $498.00 - $527.00. Now I own a Uniden BCD536HP finally & have the option of paying an additional $49.00 for the EDACS ProVoice Upgrade for it on Uniden's website. However, I am debating this & paid upgrade to my BCD536HP since I read & heard in this feed about Bernalillo County possibly getting rid of their EDACS ProVoice Radios & Radio System in 2017 & then upgrading to some new radio system which, who knows what it will be or if it will even be able to be picked up on public safety scanners like mine…

I hope that somebody here has the latest answer & info to really know if this is happening or not in Bernalillo County this year with the radios & radio system that they use for their communications. I don't want to purchase the ProVoice Upgrade for my Uniden BCD536HP @ $49.00 & then have Bernalillo County & others who are communicating on the EDACS ProVoice Radios & System in BC stop & switch to a whole new radio system & radios right after I decide to purchase the EDACS ProVoice Upgrade for my new scanner. That would truly suck & be a total waste of a paid upgrade @ $49.00 if it is going away shortly in Bernalillo County, NM like I heard & read in June, 2016.

Its guaranteed that this county will upgrade. The question is when. We don't really know when.

EDACS Pro Voice is a very old radio system and it all depends if 50 bucks is worth spending to listen to the system while its still in use. Nobody can hold a knife to your throat and say to spend the money or you are wasting your money. Its all up to the buyer and if you want to spend the money and drop it in Uniden's pocket.

I can guarantee that the EDACS system will go bye bye and will be upgraded to a Motorola Phase II TDMA system and most likely most of the LE will be encrypted. Never really knew why Uniden came out with EDACS Provoice firmware support since EDACS is so old school and being phased out.

allend said:

Its guaranteed that this county will upgrade. The question is when. We don't really know when.

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Your county and city and governments probably have meeting minutes, agendas, budgets, proposals and bids posted on their web sites.

I think that you'll get at least a year's worth of enjoyment out of the ProVoice upgrade, maybe more.

When I left the county (as an employee and resident) in September, the county was still having huge budget issues and there wasn't really any relief on the horizon. I have to suspect that this is still true and will delay any implementation of a new radio system.

As far as I know, ABQ and BernCo are going to be partners in the new system and while the city can afford thier part, it's the county that will slow things down. Even if the contract for a new system were signed today, the old EDACS will still be used for at least another year. That's being optimistic.

Dont rule out the possibility of a NXDN system...

Incorrect. No nxdn. Expect to see harris portables, mobiles capable of running edacs, p25 1 and 2 mix.

allend said:

Its guaranteed that this county will upgrade. The question is when. We don't really know when.

EDACS Pro Voice is a very old radio system and it all depends if 50 bucks is worth spending to listen to the system while its still in use. Nobody can hold a knife to your throat and say to spend the money or you are wasting your money. Its all up to the buyer and if you want to spend the money and drop it in Uniden's pocket.

I can guarantee that the EDACS system will go bye bye and will be upgraded to a Motorola Phase II TDMA system and most likely most of the LE will be encrypted. Never really knew why Uniden came out with EDACS Provoice firmware support since EDACS is so old school and being phased out.

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Expect it to be at or near what Lea county did dropping edacs, slowly one by one upgrading each unit, portable with a new harris capable of running edacs tgs, and having another new home zone with p25. Once everything's set it'll switch.

Don't rule out P25 NXDN. ...believe me....

Fowler said:

Don't rule out P25 NXDN. ...believe me....

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What is P25 NXDN? They are two different CAI's. Do you mean P25 Phase 2?